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# On the Summoning of Demons

#### by Mark D F Shirley

The copyright of this article remains with the original author. Articles may be copied or distributed freely for personal non-profit use, provided that the author is properly credited.

This article discusses the practice of Nigromancy (literally, "Black Magic"), that is, the summoning of the denizens of Hell. It presents an alternate mechanism to that portrayed in the Maleficium for so-called "goetic magic" for members of the Order, and also presents mechanics for hedge wizards who practice this evil magic.

The terms "necromancy" and "nigromancy" are often used interchangeably in mediaeval sources. Strictly speaking, necromancy is the summoning of dead, usually for the purposes of divination. Nigromancy implies black magic, with all the associated meanings. For the purpose of this article, I will use the term nigromancy for magic involved with the summoning of demons, because the Ars Magica game has already defined rules for Necromancy (see Kabbalah, pp 111-114).

Goetic Magic was a term used by the Neoplatonists (Plotinus, ca AD 205-270, and his followers) to describe "low magic", that is, magic used for profit. Goetic magic can be divided into "natural magic", magic that exploits the magical properties of natural objects; and "demonic magic", which is concerned with the coercion of spirits. Only the latter could be considered to be nigromancy, but demonic magic also includes necromancy and shamanism. "Goetism" is therefore not a suitable term to use for the practise of the summoning of demons.

### The Origins of Nigromancy

The summoning of spirits is one of the oldest forms of magic. It may have formed part of the rites of the pagan gods, summoning their attendant spirits, and calling forth the fertility of the worshipped deities. Jewish, then Christian doctrine relegated many of the former gods to the status of demons, which allowed many demons to assume the status of gods, receiving mortal worship, and granting favoured servitors their infernal powers.

The nigromantic practices used in thirteenth century Europe are derived ultimately from two sources. The first is these ancient rites of worship, which includes elements typically found in many religious rites: the singing of words of praise, genuflection and prostration before idols, and blood sacrifices. The second source is the Jewish (specifically Kabbalistic) rites of Merkavah, the abjuration of spirits (see pp 95-101 of Kabbalah). At some point, the rites of the Merkavah were perverted, becoming corrupted by infernal powers. They became accessible to more than just devout rabbis of the Jewish faith as the practice slowly spread into the rest of Europe, supported by greedy mortals who sought untold wealth in the arms of demons. It was the demons themselves who encouraged this dispersion - it is an exceptionally rare mortal who can use the powers of nigromancy with wholly selfless aims, and thus the practice of nigromancy is another way in which the spread of evil is achieved.

Of course, most of those that conduct the nigromantic rites believe that it is they who have control over matters. True, for a short while, the demons summoned are under the control of the nigromancer; but when the demon is used to conduct evil work, such as indulge the summoner in a sin (such as lust, greed or gluttony), or exact vengeance on the nigromancer's enemies, then the work of the Devil is promulgated, despite the temporary discomfiture of a demon.

The European nigromancer does not have the protection of Purity that a rabbi does, and so they cannot help but to be corrupted. However, without this power of faith, it is extremely difficult to summon demons. Thus the fusion of the Jewish Merkavah with the rites of worship of the old gods. By making a mockery of Christian rite and teaching through their diabolic rituals, the wizards are attracting the attention of the Infernal Powers. They then proceed to perform acts of supplication, offering up sacrifices and prostrating themselves before idols, begging the demon to appear in a language that the nigromancer doesn't fully understand. Then the demons appear, and pretend to become servants to the wizards, all the while laughing secretly as they watch their "masters" perform acts of sin and depravity. As far as Hell is concerned, nigromancy is a winner...

### The Nigromancers

What type of person becomes a nigromancer? What qualities are necessary?

Firstly, nigromancy is not self-taught. Access to the wrong sort of books can lead the weak-willed or the power-hungry down the left-hand path. Obviously, the potential nigromancer must have at least a little learning, and for them, this learning was a dangerous thing. Another requirement was time. Nigromancy is a demanding art, with chants to be learnt, prayers to be said, circles to be drawn, and names to be researched. Not everybody who had the learning required for nigromancy would have the time to perform all of these necessary steps. The knowledge of nigromancy was contained within books, without which, this diabolic art was impossible. Several notorious books existed - The Tables of Solomon, the Keys of Abra Melin the Mage, The Death of the Soul - to name but a few; their availability no doubt facilitated by demons.

Of those that received education in Mythic Europe, the clerics were the foremost. The term clericus may have many English translations. Most broadly, it refers to a postulant, a man or boy who has been tonsured as a mark of pious intent to be ordained. A bit more of a narrow definition was to use the term to mean someone who has been ordained to minor orders - a door-keeper, a lector, an acolyte or an exorcist. The latter category received a book of exorcism at their ordination as a symbol of their theoretical function. These books could easily provoke the exorcist's unhealthy interests.

Chantry priests, those employed by the rich to say prayers for their souls, were required to perform daily mass for their employers, but otherwise had a lot of time to themselves - and the Devil makes work for idle hands. Monks could also be considered potential nigromancers. In a monastery where discipline is strict and surveillance careful, monks could be kept to their prayer and honest labour, but in a monastery that needed reform the monks might pursue less holy pastimes. Friars are susceptible to corruption in the same as monks and chantry priests, and for the same reasons.

Students in universities in Mythic Europe are ordained into minor orders to gain the benefits of the clergy. With access to the resources of the university, as well as the potential for meeting with other, similarly minded people, it is no wonder that some universities can be breeding grounds for the Dark Arts.

Why do people become nigromancers? There are many roads to Hell, but a few reasons are listed here. Pride is one of the most obvious. This is the sin of Satan himself, and this path to Hell is often combined with good intentions. Mastery over demons could allow a nigromancer to perform good acts. This is the driving force of many wizards, the pride that their will is strong enough to resist the wiles of the Devil, and use his own powers against him. Curiosity is the snare for many scholars. The budding nigromancer discovers one of the books of nigromancy and tries out the rituals out of some sort of scientific interest. Lust for power is one of the most common inroads into diabolism, and certainly the most obvious. In this case, the nigromancer is likely to be a sinner before taking up the arts, and does so with eyes open, knowing precisely where his studies will lead. The opposite of this path is ignorance - the nigromancer is unaware of precisely what he is doing due to trickery or stupidity. They may believe that they are performing magic without realising the source of the magic until the demon actually arrives. Finally, there is sheer perversity. Some souls are so twisted that they have a lust for evil, and actively seek out the Devil.

Whatever the reasons for studying the Infernal Arts, it is a downward path. Whatever one's intentions are when the process is started, nigromancy exposes one's soul to pure evil, and few can survive such exposure intact. The act of summoning demons is sinful - it involves perversion of Christian ritual, the contravention of the dictates of the Bible ("Thou Shalt Have No Other God But Me" is the First Commandment, after all!). In time, nigromancers abandon their moral and religious convictions as they become consumed by the evil that they have summoned.

## The Summoning of Demons

NB: The mechanic described below is a modification of the rules for Necromantic Summoning, from the Kabbalah Sourcebook. A virtue, Nigromantic Summoning, can be bought at a cost of +5 and used to generate nigromancer characters. Hermetic Magi can duplicate these powers with forbidden spells, so Hermetic nigromancers need not buy the virtue. These rules are intended as a more simple alternative to the rules given in The Maleficium, and are a distillation of those rules and the ones given in Kabbalah. Nearly all rolls involved with summoning a demon are stressed, and it is suggested that each is made in secret, with only the storyguide seeing the result. Thus a nigromancer will not know whether his circle is sufficiently powerful, or whether the demon is just pretending to be bound.

### Forbidden Knowledge

To summon a demon, the nigromancer must know the rituals specific to that demon, including his many names and aspects. This research includes discovering the demon's place in Hell's hierarchy (and thus approximate Magnitude), what sacrifices to offer, what incenses to burn, what gifts will appease it, and what incantations will control the demon.

Nigromancers must master a huge number of symbols, chants and correspondences during his career, with each demon having its own unique combinations. This knowledge may be summed up by Familiarity scores. For each demon studied, the nigromancer generates a Familiarity score, and over the course of his career, the successful nigromancer (i.e. the living ones) may have in excess of twenty or thirty separate Familiarity totals. A Familiarity score of at least 1 is required to attempt to summon a demon, but more is recommended if the nigromancer is not to be swallowed alive immediately.

Familiarity with a particular demon can be learnt from written demonology texts and interrogating another demon who knows the target demon. Each source should be given a Profile Value, which is rated from 1 to 3. The nigromancer's Familiarity score on a topic is compared to the Profile Value of the source, and the Familiarity score may be increased in a manner similar to studying Magic Theory from raw vis, though aura is irrelevant.

If by some lucky chance the nigromancer learns the True Name of the demon, his Familiarity score with that demon is treated as 10. True Names are written in a Hellish language upon their hearts. The only other way to learn them is to somehow trick them from the demon itself, or learn them from some of the legendary demonological texts that contain True Names. The Ring of Solomon was said to be inscribed with the True Names of seventy demons.

A nigromancer can attempt an Int + Familiarity to try to guess how powerful a demon is. Like all demonological rolls, this is made on a stress die. Most texts tend to downplay the power of individual demons, as they are designed either to trick potential nigromancers or to boast about past deeds. The EF for such a roll is therefore 7 + 2 per Magnitude of the demon. For every point that they miss the roll by, they are a magnitude out, either up or down. Similar rolls can be made for other facts about a demon.

### Aesfoetidia

This is the Infernal version of vis. It usually appears as a black, resinous substance, and it is most similar to wild vis (see Hedge Magic), though it can only be found in areas with an Infernal aura. It collects in the detritus that gathers in such places, the blood remaining from sacrifices, and in the footsteps of demons. In large Infernal areas, it may be gathered from the plants and animals that live in such blighted areas. Like wild vis, it can be gathered in small quantities while performing other actions in a season. Aesfoetidia can be casually gathered at a rate of (Perception + Occult Lore + Sense Unholiness + Infernal Aura) / 10 pawns per season. If an entire season is spent doing nothing but gathering aesfoetidia, much more can be accumulated - [Perception + Occult Lore + Sense Unholiness + (3 x Infernal Aura)]/5 pawns per season. Note that aesfoetidia can only be gathered in an Infernal aura.

Hermetic magi cannot find aesfoetidia in the same way as a nigromancer can, instead they can distil aesfoetidia from an Infernal aura in the same way as they would distil Vim vis from a Magic aura, except that Occult Lore is used instead of Magic Theory to calculate the number of pawns collected.

Unlike wild vis, Hermetic magic can detect aesfoetidia - to them it appears as Vim vis, and no magic will reveal its true nature. Should it be used in a Hermetic spell, however, the spell will automatically Botch, with a number of additional botch dice determined by the circumstances, as usual (see p15 and 74 of Ars Magica 4th Edition).

Aesfoetidia is very useful to nigromancers. It can be used to strengthen their circles of protection and it may also be used to strengthen their summoning power. The number of pawns that can be safely handled by a nigromancer in any single act is determined by his score in Nigromantic Summoning plus his score in Occult Lore.

### Protection

It is not necessary to have a magical circle to effectively summon a demon. However, it is strongly recommended. Without a circle, demons do not have to appear before the nigromancer when summoned - they can appear behind the nigromancer, in an adjoining room, or even in the next kingdom. In addition, the circle provides protection for the nigromancer, preventing the demon from attacking him immediately. Each circle has a Level rating, and a demon who's Might does not exceed the level of the circle cannot enter it, direct his powers against anyone in it, or send lesser demons across the ward. Note that each circle is specific to a particular demon - if a different demon should arrive, the circle is next to useless.

The Level of a circle is equal to: a stress die + Intelligence + (Occult Lore x Infernal Aura) + (3 x Familiarity). The circle is inscribed upon the floor in chalk or other substances, and marked at various points with sigils, words, candles, or other objects, as determined by the requirements of the specific demon, covered by the Familiarity score. Occult Lore can be used to exploit any Infernal aura, should it exist - sacrifices, prayers to demons, Black Masses or other perversions are required if the aura is to be exploited. Such actions are blatant proof of the evil nature of nigromancy, and most potential demonologists will balk at such practices, at least at first (see The Left Hand Path, below). Vis may be used to strengthen the circle, but only aesfoetidia is effective. Every pawn of this corrupted vis used will add 5 to the strength of the circle.

It takes at least 1 minute per Level of the circle to inscribe it properly. The power of the circle lasts as long as the circle itself. Should the chalk become scuffed, the candles become extinguished, or the components moved, then its power is lost.

Note that many nigromantic texts do not include details of inscribing a circle of protection.

### The Call

Once sufficient research has been done, the nigromancer performs the summoning ritual. This takes about 15 minutes per magnitude of the spirit summoned, and costs two fatigue levels. The actual time it takes can vary up to over 30 minutes per magnitude. Roll a quality die and add that number to 10 to get the number of minutes per magnitude that it takes to call the demon. The nigromancer repeats his ritual and incantations over and over again until the demon at last appears or the nigromancer gives up. It is therefore very difficult to estimate the power of the demon by the length of the incantation process.

Once performed, the nigromancer rolls a stress die + Intelligence + Nigromantic Summoning + Occult Lore + Familiarity Bonus + aura. Aesfoetidia is required to summon demons; this is the major difference between nigromancy and necromancy. 1 pawn is required per 15 minutes of the summons - most nigromancers make sure they have much more than they need. If the nigromancer runs out of aesfoetidia in the middle of a summons, the call fails and the aesfoetidia is wasted.

If the summons roll exceeds the demon's Might, the demon appears in a matter of moments. Depending upon the preparation of the nigromancer and the temperament of the demon, it might be belligerent and dangerous when it appears. If the roll is not sufficient, the nigromancer has one chance to boost his total by the use of more aesfoetidia. One pawn will add 5 to the total of the summoning ritual, and the nigromancer can add a number of pawns equal to his limit (Nigromancy + Occult Lore). Of course, this is quite foolish, for if the nigromancer is not strong enough to summon the demon, he may not be strong enough to control it.

The demon may arrive in any form that it has available to it. Some might choose a terrible aspect to try to cow the nigromancer, others might choose to appear as weak and vulnerable as it can. The storyguide must decide upon the form taken, and its effects on the nigromancer.

### Controlling a Demon

Once a demon has answered a summons, the nigromancer can attempt to control it, or, if he believes it to be too powerful, can try and bargain with it. Some demons, particularly the less powerful ones, do not wish to bargain with a mortal foolish enough to summon them. If they can breach the magic circle, they will, and attack the nigromancer before leaving to perform mayhem elsewhere.

If the nigromancer believes that he is powerful enough to control the demon he has summoned, he may roll a stress die + Presence + Occult Lore + Leadership + (2 x Familiarity) + aura against an ease factor equal to the demon's Might. For every five levels (or fraction thereof) by which the nigromancer's roll exceeds the demon's Might, the nigromancer may issue the demon one command without fear of reprisal or need for restitution. This roll should be kept secret from the nigromancer's player, though - they should not know just how much control they have over their demonic servant. After each command issued, the nigromancer can attempt a Perception + Occult Lore roll to try to gauge the level of indenture - they can correctly guess on a 12+, but are one out (either way) for every two points by which they fail this roll.

The nigromancer, however, should save one command for "Return peacefully from whence you came." A demon that has been commanded (whether successfully or not) will almost always become belligerent toward the nigromancer, and if not dismissed in this way, may inflict horrible torments upon the nigromancer. It is possible (likely, in fact, with certain demons) that a demon will pretend that a failed attempt to control was successful. This often happens to inexperienced nigromancers, who then find that their 'control' is less than total, and that they have to do things for the demon in return for his help.

Note that it is very foolish for a nigromancer to summon a demon that he does not think that he can control. Demons will often enter bargains with nigromancers, but this is seldom to the benefit of the nigromancer. Exactly what a demon will ask for varies wildly, although a nigromancer who has done his research properly may have some idea. These tasks are never harmless in their execution, and, as likely as not, consist of committing some sort of sin. Most demons will initially demand a nigromancer's soul as a starting point in the bargaining, but can usually be bargained down unless the task is one of major significance. A demon is bound by its word, but, as many stories will testify, they are adept in interpreting the bargain to their own benefit. All bargains must be agreed upon by both the summoner and the summoned before the demon will take any action for the nigromancer. Payment may be demanded in advance or deferred until a specific time later.

Nigromancers cannot try to control a demon that they have not summoned themselves, nor can they try to control a demon that has broken free from their control. The only time that this ritual can be attempted is immediately after the demon arrives on earth at the behest of the nigromancer.

### Uses for Demons

The uses to which demons can be put are the same as those that Necromancers can issue to spirits, but demons have many more magical powers that might be of use to nigromancers. The list given on p113 of Kabbalah is repeated below, but with modifications and additions where applicable.

- "Assist me": the score in an Ability or Knowledge possessed by the demon will be added to any one related roll. Demons are well known for being experts in a number of fields, particularly science.
- "Follow me": the demon will remain close to the nigromancer, either in spiritual form or in some physical aspect. If this is the demon's last command, it will follow until the sun next rises, at which time it will be free from the wizard's power. Demons will not follow nigromancers into auras which would drain their might.
- "Immortalise me": The magnitude of the demon's current Might will be subtracted from the nigromancer's next ageing roll. Only one demon can affect each ageing roll, and this command allows the demon to shake off any remaining commands and gain its freedom. This command also leaves a "witch-mark" on the body of the nigromancer - a mole, a discoloured spot, a third nipple, or some other minor deformity.
- "Journey": The demon will travel to any place to which the nigromancer has an arcane connection.
- "Perform for me": The demon attempts one use of any of its powers or abilities as directed by the nigromancer
- "Prophecy for me": Demons are well known for their knowledge of the future. For these purposes, the demon has the Exceptional Ability Divination equal to its magnitude. Demons are bound to say what they see in the future, but they can be selective in what they tell the nigromancer unless the question is very specific.
- "Protect me": for one magical attack, the nigromancer resists with the demon's current Might
- "Return peacefully": the demon must return to Hell and cannot harm the nigromancer unless summoned again.
- "Teach me": Some demons are known for their knowledge. They may teach any ability they have, using the Training or Lectio rules as appropriate. This costs one command for each point in the Skill or Knowledge gained by the nigromancer. If he doesn't have sufficient commands, he will gain a number of points equal to his remaining commands in the season, then the demon is freed.

  Individual commands can be easily combined - "Journey to the house of Madame Guilliard and give her erotic dreams about me."

  Example: Herraud (Intelligence +2, Presence +1, Nigromancy +6, Occult Lore +5, Leadership +3) is an accomplished nigromancer, ever since finding that tome in the basement of Paris university 7 years ago. His study has impoverished him, and he has his eyes set upon a rich widow, Madame Guilliard. He has already paved the way with sending minor spirits to her dreams at night, but she still resists his advances. He has therefore decided to summon a more powerful demon. His researches has told him that a demon called Emhialties is puissant at the seducing of women, and Herraud has decided to summon this fiend to assist him. He has researched all he could about Emhialties, and has a Familiarity of 6 with it.

  First, he prepares the circle of warding. His basement workroom has accumulated an Infernal aura of 3 during his 7 years of worship of the Devil. He begins with a consecration of the basement room, a dark perversion of the Christian Mass. He then draws his circle, setting out the human fat candles and crow-bones that his researches have told him are favoured by Emhialties. Herraud rolls a 4 (his roll) + 2 (his Intelligence) + 15 (his Occult Lore multiplied by the aura) + 18 (3 x his Familiarity with Emhialties), for a total of 39. This circle should keep out the demon, should things go awry.

  Now he begins the chants that he has learnt, casting aesfoetidia, herbs and blood into the fire to create the smell pleasing to Herraud. The storyguide rolls a 10 on a quality die, indicating that Herraud will have to keep up the rite for 20 minutes per magnitude of the demon, who has a Might of 25. Thus, over one and a half hours and 8 pawns of aesfoetidia later, the roll for the summoning ritual is made. He rolls a 3 (his roll) + 2 (Intelligence) + 6 (Nigromantic Summoning) + 5 (Occult Lore) + 6 (Familiarity) + 3 (Aura), for a total of 25. He can feel the demon answer his call, but does not have enough power to bring him here. Throwing caution to the wind, he casts another two pawns of aesfoetidia into the fire (adding +10 to his summoning roll), and the demon arrives.

  It chooses to take the form of a beautiful child, grasping a serpent in each hand. Herraud immediately attempts to control the demon, knowing that he doesn't want to enter another demonic bargain. His control roll is 10 (his lucky roll) + 1 (Presence) + 5 (Occult Lore) + 3 (Leadership) + 12 (Familiarity) + 3 (Aura), for a total of 34. He is then concerned as to how many services he gets from Emhialties, so makes a Perception + Occult Lore roll to try to determine this. However, he gets a total of only 10 (rolled secretly, of course), so believes that he has three services, not two. The demon speaks.

  "I am thine to command, master. What is thy will?" Filled with confidence, Herraud commands the demon to follow him to the house of the widow Guilliard. His second command will be to make the widow fall in love with him, believing that he can then safely dismiss the demon. He is wrong.

  ### Getting rid of Demons

  Demons abound on earth. Most are invisible to man, but they watch, and they listen. Diseases are, in part, the work of evil spirits, as are impure thoughts and bad luck. Mediaeval man will ascribe just about every unfortunate event to the work of demons, and they may well be right - at least some of the time. The only day upon which mortals are safe from the depravations of demons is Easter Sunday, when all demons are driven back to Hell by the power of the Triumphant Christ.

  Nigromancers often cannot wait until Easter Sunday. For them, the safest and most reliable method of getting rid of demons is through the use of a command. "Return peacefully and with all haste from whence thee came". Note that the stipulation of "peacefully" is very important, so is the time limit (without which, a demon can remain upon the Earth until the next Easter Sunday). Demons are also dismissed back to Hell if they are reduced to zero Might, and a nigromancer might exploit this if they suspect that they are on their final command - they can make it so complex that the demon must burn up its remaining Might to complete it. This is very unreliable, however.

  Nigromancers can try to dismiss any demon that they happen upon. The demon must be in full sight of them, and they must be able to speak and gesture for the dismissal to have any chance of success. They must roll a stress die and add Stamina + Nigromantic Summoning + Occult Lore + aura + any Familiarity that they have for the demon. For every point that this roll exceeds the demon's current Might, the demon loses one Might point. This may be repeated round after round, and the nigromancer is unable to do anything except concentrate upon the dismissal. Unfortunately, this is not true for the demon, which may continue to act as normal, though they cannot spend any Might points while a dismissal attempt is ongoing. Once the dismissal attempt has begun, it can continue even if the demon leaves the line of sight of the nigromancer - as long as the nigromancer keeps succeeding his dismissal rolls. Should he fail to beat the demon's Might, even once, the dismissal attempt fails, and must be reinitiated.

  The nigromancer must concentrate throughout the dismissal - if necessary, consult the rules for magi concentrating while casting spells.

  Other methods of getting rid of a demon include physical combat (a demon reduced to zero body levels is banished), purification, casting out and banishment (the latter three are detailed in Pax Dei, p 75)

  ### The Left Hand Path

  Nigromancy is evil, plain and simple. Practising nigromancy, whatever the good intentions, is bound to bring ruin. To successfully summon a demon one must say prayers to evil spirits, make blood sacrifices, bow down before pagan altars - in short, everything proscribed by the Church - for good reason. With player characters, this gradual descent into evil can be role-played, if desired, but this section gives a simple mechanic that will guide role-playing.

  The system is based around Personality Traits. The first time that an evil act is performed, the character gains a new Personality Trait of score 1, appropriate to the act performed. For example, an animal sacrifice might give a Callous Trait. Every time another wicked deed is performed, points must be allocated to this trait, or new ones, according to the following table. These points are used to increase Personality Traits as if they were skills.

  Act performed | Points gained
  Black Mass | 2
  Any other perversion of Christian ritual | 1-3
  Sacrificing an animal | 3
  Sacrificing a human | 10
  Successfully summoning a demon | 1
  Being Immortalised by a demon | 1/magnitude
  Performing the Black Pilgrimage (see below) | 10
  Signing a Cardinal Pact | 10
  Committing a heinous sin (or using a demon to do so) | 1
  Committing a Cardinal sin (or using a demon to do so) | 3

  For example, Herraud already has a Personality Trait of Lustful 1. In summoning Emhialties, a demon of Lust, he gains 1 more point (Lustful 1/1). He uses Emhialties to corrupt the widow Guilliard with the Sin of Lust, a Cardinal Sin. He gains 3 more points to his Lustful score, making it 2/2.

  Those traits that are chosen should be negative in nature, and fit the deed. If the next demon Herraud summoned was one of Theft, it would be more appropriate to give him an Greedy Personality Trait than to increase his Lustful Trait.

  These traits should be used to guide the role-playing of the character. If the sum of a character's Personality Traits gained in this manner should equal or exceed 10, the character should gain the Offensive to Animals Flaw. Should the total be 20 or more, the character gains the Tainted with Evil Flaw.

  The rules in the Maleficium regarding the gaining of Infernal Virtues after years of service to the dark Powers can supplement this system. Briefly, one virtue point is gained for each 3 years of diabolic activity. These Virtue points may only be used to buy Infernal Virtues, such as Characteristic Improvement, Inferior Familiar, False Faith or Black Blessing. See p130 of the Maleficium for more details.

  #### Making the Black Pilgrimage

  The Black Pilgrimage is a deliberate inversion of the acts of pious Christians. It involves travelling to the abandoned city of Chorazin. Few outside infernal circles understand what this act means, but the following was found amongst the writings of one who had taken the dark path.

  "If any man desires to obtain a long life, if he would obtain a faithful messenger and see the blood of his enemies, it is necessary that he should first go into the city of Chorazin, and there salute the Princeps Aëris."

  Chorazin is rumoured to lie somewhere near the ruins on the north shore of the sea of Galilee. The dedicated nigromancer sets out across Europe into whatever wasteland holds the ruins of the dark city, committing acts of evil along the way so as to be able to present a catalogue of sins to his masters. If the nigromancer succeeds in this task, his infernal masters grant him great power an rewards and affirms his pact with the Devil. Such a pilgrimage might be worth 3 extra points of Infernal Virtues. It is rumoured that the Lord de Soulis (see Lion of the North) has made such a pilgrimage.

  #### Signing a Cardinal Pact

  The Cardinal Pact is the ultimate stamp of evil upon a character. The Cardinal Pact offers the summoned demon the nigromancer's soul in return for a large favour. The soul permanently belongs to the Forces of Evil (though there are stories of saints who step in and save such characters), and as such, the pact can only be completed by a willing signatory, under no physical duress.

  Many sign a Cardinal Pact out of fear of death. As a nigromancer ages, the effects of immortilisation through demonkind become less and less effective, and he needs to summon more and more powerful demons for it to work in the first place. The nigromancer starts to feel the effects of his own mortality, and this is when his mind might start to turn towards signing away his soul. Power is the other driving force of a Cardinal Pact. It can, potentially, offer a tremendous power to the signatory - Hell is generous with its gifts, if a soul is at stake.

  The gains from a Cardinal Pact can be immense. Naturally, the more powerful the demon with whom the pact is made, the more the nigromancer can get out of the pact. There is often much haggling over the terms, which are often precisely worded to avoid misunderstandings. One of the more obvious effects of the Cardinal Pact is the constant attendance of the demon (or, for the more powerful demons, his representative), as a familiar demon. This demon is treated as if the nigromancer had an unlimited number of commands, but only commands that come under the terms of the Cardinal Pact need be obeyed by the demon.

  One immediate effect of the Pact of Ashes is that the nigromancer gains the Tainted with Evil Flaw. This is a result of the stain upon his soul for his evil act.

  ### Nigromantic Magi

  Magi have an advantage over mundanes, should they choose to become summoners of demons. The Theory of Hermetic Magic, as devised by Bonisagus, includes provisions for summoning demons. Because of early prohibitions against such magic (note that any concourse with demons is forbidden by the Code itself, the cornerstone of the Order), and any type of "demonic" goetic magic (as defined in the Introduction to this article) - nigromancy, necromancy, spirit summoning - is by-and-large neglected by Hermetic Magi. The only spells within the Hermetic corpus that have any effect on spirits (whatever their origin) are protective wards.

  Without a doubt there are experts in this type of magic within the Order - particularly in House Ex Miscellanea - but the stigma of demonic goetia as diabolism is hard to shake off, and such magi often find themselves under the scrutiny of the quaesitores. By comparison, the nigromantic magi within the Order of Hermes are never open about any aspect of their art, preferring to outwardly profess to studying arts other than Rego and Vim (a combination considered particularly indicative of diabolism) to avoid suspicion.

  Dark magi have probably always existed in the Order. The allure of power promised by demons is bound to be too strong for some magi, and demons will always be eager to corrupt such people, who have a great potential to do evil with their magic. The most famous incident was the corruption of House Tytalus in 961AD, when the primus and several other high ranking members of the House were found to be practising Dark Arts. Nowadays, it is likely that nigromancy is quite rare in that House, which has still not been able to shake off the stigma of that incident in the intervening 250 years - magi have long lives and longer memories.

  Magi do not have to have the Nigromancy Virtue to summon demons - it is already a part of Hermetic magic, though somewhat underdeveloped. The knowledge required to create the appropriate spells still needs to be gained - Hermetic magi wishing to summon a demon must have a Familiarity score of at least 1 for that demon, just like a non-Hermetic nigromancer. The processes involved in summoning a demon using Hermetic magic are detailed below.

  First, a protective circle must be drawn. Many magi know the ReVi spell "Circular Ward against Demons". This spell has purely a protective function, but, as described above, the summoning circle of a nigromancer is more than that - it acts as a focus to the summoning spell. The nigromantic version of the Circular Ward is called "Drawing the Dark Circle", and is identical to the standard Hermetic spell, except that the strength of the Circle is a stress die + the spell's level - 10 + Familiarity. Note that a stress die is used, not a quality die.

  The Summoning is performed by means of a ritual spell. Every demon requires a separate spell to be created uniquely for them, so a Dark Magus has to spend a fair bit of his time inventing spells to become powerful as a nigromancer. The Dark Magus must have either a Familiarity of at least 1 to invent such a spell, or a source with a Profile Value of at least 1. As the ritual spell is so intricately bound up with each specific demon, it is possible for a magus to learn Familiarity at the same time as inventing a spell. Both processes are assumed to occur simultaneously, with the following points. Firstly, the Dark Magus is considered to study Familiarity from the Profile Value for only one season, no matter how many seasons it takes to learn the spell. Secondly, creating the spell is treated as if the magus is experimenting (p 92 of Ars Magica 4th Edition) if he is also learning Familiarity, but a risk factor is optional. Thirdly, if either (or both) learning Familiarity or inventing the spell botches, then both are considered to have botched (remember, rolls should be seen only by the storyguide).

  A magus may add the strength of any Infernal aura to his lab total when creating a summoning spell. If he knows a summoning spell for another demon already, he may gain a bonus to his lab total equal to the magnitude of the highest level summoning spell he already knows. Spells to summon demons are Creo Vim, as they are creating a body out of magic for the demon. They have a Range of Near, a Duration of Special and a Target of Individual. The demon arrives at the end of the ritual if its Might is less than a stress die + the spell's level - 10 + Familiarity. This means that a Dark Magus must guess the Might of the demon he wishes to summon (Int + Familiarity, as described above), and risks wasting vis on a ritual spell that does not work because it is not sufficiently powerful. Suitable spell foci for such spells are blood sacrifices, Black Masses, etc.

  In casting the ritual spell, a Hermetic magus can use Vim vis as well as aesfoetidia. Dark Magi can only utilise aesfoetidia safely if it is used in an Infernal spell. Attempting to use aesfoetidia for any other reason has the same consequences as described above.

  The process of controlling a demon is exactly the same as described above. The process of commanding a demon is a battle of wills, and is not substituted with a spell. There is a Hermetic spell that allows a Dark magus to issue a single command (only) to a demon - see below for its description. This spell is generally reserved for emergencies, for, if used, any commands that the Dark Magus has left are negated, and the demon immediately becomes hostile. Of course, the spell may be cast again, but there is always a risk of failure...

  Bridling Satan's Minion, ReVi 25

  Range: Eye; Duration: Special, Target: Individual
  Spell Focus: A whip made of human hair (+2)

  This spell allows a magus to issue one command to a demon. Assuming that the spell penetrates, the demon gets a single chance to avoid its effects. The demon must make a Stamina roll against an ease factor of 12+, with a bonus equal to the magnitude of its current Might. If this roll fails, the demon is forced to obey a single command of the caster. The spell lasts until the command issued has been completed, or until the next sunset or sunrise, whichever comes first. The demon is always hostile towards the caster of this spell - they will obey the command to the very letter, and attempt to attack the magus once the spell's duration has expired.

  Dismissing a demon using Hermetic magic is done in two main ways. The first is by using the spell "Bridling Satan's Minion", listed above, and issuing the command "Leave peacefully and with all possible haste". The other method is by using the standard Hermetic spell "Demon's Eternal Oblivion", listed on p158 of Ars Magica 4th Edition. When the demon is reduced to zero Might, it is forced to depart the Earth for Hell.

  ## The Denizens of Hell

  This section contains a brief description of demons in general, and gives a few examples of demons typically summoned by nigromancers.

  Firstly, when designing a demon, bear in mind that demons represent sin. The storyguide should base the concept of a demon around a particular sin - a demon of murder, for example, or a demon of corrupting priests. Three categories do not need to be unique, but every demon is - there are many demons embodying each sin. Only the really powerful demons have particular sins or types of sinners as their personal purview, and these are best avoided by the nigromancer.

  All demons are embodiments of deception, spawned from the Great Deceiver himself. For this reason, all demons are immune to most investigative magics - no spell can force a demon to tell the truth, nor determine whether a demon is the author of some deceit. Demonic illusions are immune to Intellego magics, for example, while their creator is present. No spell can reveal whether someone is a demon, nor can one detect the presence of an invisible demon.

  Most demons can create illusions. Demonic illusions are precisely that - they have no material substance, they are mere phantasms. At the very least, demons should be able to change their own form to suit appearances. All demons can choose to go unnoticed by man at will - this is not really invisibility, its just that those (without Second Sight) cannot see them. There is no Hermetic way to reveal a demon in this state - it is as if they were not present. Many demons can also shapechange into animal form - whether this is real or illusionary is impossible to tell.

  Many demons have a particular immunity - this immunity is often to fire, a consequence of the fiery Pit they call their home. Being spirits, demons need not eat, drink or breathe, nor do they have bodily organs such as hearts, livers and lungs, nor do they get tired. As described in Ars Magica 4th Edition, they also have the powers of Possession, Obsession and Psychomachia.

  Now to some more specific demons. Below are seven demons of varying power. The storyguide should create more as he or she needs.

  #### Coniua, a demon of Warts

  Coniua barely merits the name of demon - she is a mere imp, causing misery to humans by causing large and painful warts and carbuncles to appear on their bodies. She often performs at the command of another demon, and is easy to control by nigromancers, who use her for vengeful purposes. She hates the pretty and the handsome, and will afflict those whenever possible with her curse.

  Coniua takes the form of a twisted woman, with pendulous breasts and slack lips. She is covered in warts herself. She has also been known to take the form of a rat.

  Characteristics:

  Int: -1 Str: -1 Prs: -5 Dex: +1

  Per: +1 Stm: +0 Com: -2 Qik: 0

  Infernal Might: 5

  Size: -2

  Personality Traits: Jealous +2

  Abilities: none of note

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  Bite | -1 | +2 | +1 | -2

  Soak: 0

  Body Levels: OK, -1, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: none

  Blessing of the Toad: MuCo 5, 0 points. At a touch, Coniua can raise a painful boil on someone's face. If untreated, the boil will suppurate.

  #### Guland, a Servant Demon

  Guland is a minor demon who seems to delight in serving mortals. He is courteous and skilled in etiquette, and would make a perfect valet to a nigromancer. He is strong and quick-witted, and his masters seldom have cause for complaint.

  Despite his weak power, Guland is quite subtle. He imposes his psychomachia on those he serves, causing them to become more arrogant and less tolerant. Soon, his master will wonder why everyone isn't as obedient as Guland.

  Guland usually appears as a grey-skinned man of non-descript appearance. He wears simple grey clothes, and carries a rod of office. He can also appear as a grey dog or a grey horse. He must be fed on burnt bread to retain his services.

  Characteristics:

  Int: +2 Str: +2 Prs: 0 Dex: +0

  Per: 0 Stm: +0 Com: +1 Qik: +0

  Infernal Might: 15

  Size: 0

  Personality Traits: Obsequious +3, Manipulative +2

  Abilities: Occult Lore 1, Etiquette 6, Single Weapon (Rod) 2

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  Rod | +5 | +4 | +5 | +7

  Soak: +2

  Body Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: Domineering +2, Heartless +1

  Deceive the Foolish Master: CrIm/Me (varies), 1 point. Guland is an expert at creating illusions. Many of these illusions exist only in the mind of his master - while the nigromancer sees himself living in lush opulence created by his servant, others see him living in his own filth, while Guland watches, smiling

  #### Gamigen, a demon of Corpses

  This demon is a practitioner of a filthy habit, the raising of the dead. Gamigen is called upon to animate corpses for its master.

  Gamigen has the appearance of a corpse itself, with rotting flesh falling off a body swollen with bloat. The only thing that distinguishes it from one of its subjects is the greenish glow in its eyes and around its huge clawed hands. Gamigen can also take the shape of a vulture and a man clothed in the garb of a sexton. It requires the burning of wood from a graveyard in its summons, and finds the scent of boiling blood most pleasing.

  Characteristics:

  Int: 0 Str: +3 Prs: n/a Dex: -2

  Per: 0 Stm: +5 Com: -2 Qik: -2

  Infernal Might: 20

  Size: 0

  Personality Traits: Morbid +3

  Abilities: Occult Lore (the dead) 4, Possession (corpses) 3

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  Claws (2) | +7 | +4 | +4 | +12

  Soak: +12

  Body Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: none

  The Walking Dead: ReCo 35, 2 points. Gamigen can cause a corpse to rise from its grave and function according to his command. He can raise as many corpses as his Might allows, and need not keep concentrating on them to keep them active. The corpses can only remain active during the night - at daybreak they slump into lifelessness again, only to become active again at sunset. The corpses remain animate until they physically disintegrate.

  #### Rachilet, a succubus

  Succubi are demons of lust. They delight in corrupting humans with their alluring figures and entrancing eyes, and Rachilet is no exception. She appears as a naked woman of such enormous beauty that it takes a great effort of will to look away. Few men notice the huge bat wings protruding from her back or the sharp teeth hidden behind her luscious lips. Rachilet is a subtle demon - she prefers visit men's dreams with orgies of lust before actually appearing in their chambers at night and forcing them into intercourse - though such is her preparation that few men need much forcing. Like all succubi, she cannot bear the seed of man within her, so immediately after sex, she transforms into the image of the man that she has seduced and seeks out the nearest woman to release the man's seed into her. This male form of the succubus is called an incabus. She will also possess women and entice men into lust that way - she is particularly fond of possessing a maiden that is dear to her target, thus consuming any love between them with animal lust.

  Rachilet is able to take the physical form of anyone she has met. Apples and serpents are required in the summoning of this daughter of Lilith, as is the blood of a virgin man.

  Characteristics:

  Int: +0 Str: +2 Prs: +5 Dex: +2

  Per: +0 Stm: +4 Com: +2 Qik: +0

  Infernal Might: 25

  Size: 0

  Personality Traits: Lustful +3 Avaricious +2 Cruel +1

  Abilities: Charm (men) 5, Stealth (at night) 3, Possession (women) 3

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  Bite | +6 | +8 | +4 | +4

  Soak: +5

  Body Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: Lust +4, Love -3, Misogyny +2

  Allure of Eve: ReMe 40, 4 points. Use of this power causes a man to become completely infatuated with Rachilet, willing to do anything to prove his devotion to her. He would even give his life if it would save hers.

  Visit the Slumbering Man: Mu/CrMe 20, 2 points. This power allows Rachilet to visit the dreams of a sleeping man. She can control what he experiences in his dreams, and apply her pyschomachia without resistance from his own Personality Traits. This makes him more susceptible to her powers.

  Drink from the Fountain of Man: CrVi 30, 0 points. At the height of ecstasy, Rachilet can bite into the flesh of her victim and restore her Might. For every body level she drains from her victim she gains 3 Might, up to her permanent Might.

  #### Oelliet, a demon of Temptation

  Oelliet is a powerful demon who is charged with tempting holy men to break their vows. In this assignment he has proved successful, and is believed to have corrupted at least one saint. He has recourse to a number of powers, concentrating upon the vows of obedience, poverty, abstinence, chastity and humility taken by monks and priests. His main skill is in the utilisation of his many psychomachia, with which he is highly skilled, but can also offer very real rewards to those he tempts. Pride is his favourite sin, delighting in pushing monks into acts of greater and greater 'piety', driven by the pride that they are more holy than their fellows.

  Oelliet prefers to keep a low profile. He often appears as a holy man himself, and joins a religious community to corrupt it from within. Another favoured form is that of a black goat with a ring of white fur around its neck. His natural form is that of a serpent-tongued child sat astride a goat, carrying a scourge in one hand and a palm frond in the other. He responds to the smell of burning hyssop, and requires the presence of an ordained man (minor orders are acceptable) before he will appear at the call of a nigromancer.

  Characteristics:

  Int: +4 Str: 0 Prs: +2 Dex: 0

  Per: +1 Stm: 0 Com: +5 Qik: 0

  Infernal Might: 35

  Size: 0

  Personality Traits: Devious +3

  Abilities: Possession (priests) 4, Intrigue (cloisters) 4, Charm (ordained men) 6, Church Lore 5, Monastic Orders Lore 5

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  none | - | - | - | -

  Soak: +20

  Body Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: Rebellion +4, Pride +3, Masochism +3, Avarice +3, Lust +2, Sloth +3, Self-Indulgence +2

  Silver Tongue of the Serpent: ReMe 15, 2 pts. Oelliet can be very persuasive, and this power enhances that. It works on a single target at a time, but makes them believe the validity of what he says. For the duration that the two talk, the victim of this power will accept what Oelliet says as the truth and agree with his views. After the two separate, the target gets an Intelligence roll (modified by appropriate Personality Traits) to shake off the effects of this power - the target is 9+. Those with True Faith are immune to this power.

  The Devil's Riches: CrTe 50, 5 pts. Oelliet can summon any amount of gold, silver and precious gemstones to tempt his victims with. These riches are part illusion, part real, but always turn into worthless junk within a week of his target accepting them.

  #### Focalor, Duke of the Stormy Seas

  Focalor is a duke in the hierarchy of Hell, and a powerful demon indeed. He has control over the danger of the sea, particularly its ability to terrify. He is occasionally called upon by powerful nigromancers to destroy those who travel by sea, or to let loose the fury of the ocean upon the land. However, he has great power and is difficult to control due to the wildness of the element that he personifies. Every time he fulfils a command for a nigromancer, the attempt to command him must be performed again, assuming that the initial attempt resulted in more than one command.

  Focalor appears as a huge man with the wings of a griffon. He always appears dripping with water, and can only be summoned in proximity to the sea, and requires a man to be sacrificed by drowning before he will arrive. He can take a myriad of other forms, including a mighty whale, a sooty-black seabird, and a phantom ship crewed with the dead.

  Characteristics:

  Int: +1 Str: +6 Prs: +2 Dex: +3

  Per: +6 Stm: +8 Com: +0 Qik: +5

  Infernal Might: 45

  Size: +2

  Personality Traits: Angry +6, Superior +4

  Abilities: Intimidation 6, Possession 3, Weather Sense 10

  Weapon/Attack: | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam
  Fist | +15 | +12 | +14 | +17

  Soak: +25

  Body Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Destroyed

  Powers:

  Psychomachia: Terror +4

  Summon the Storm Winds:CrAu 40, 4 points. Focalor can call the wind from above the sea to ravage the land. In effect this is similar to the Hermetic spell "Breath of the Open Sky", but requires no ritual to perform.

  Lord of the Sea: ReAq 40, 4 points. Focalor can control all salt water for as far as he can see. He can whip up the sea into a frenzy, cause waves to smash the land, or calm an area within a storm

  Pull of the Watery Grave: ReAq 30, 3 points. As the Hermetic spell of the same name

  Waves of Drowning and Smashing: ReAq 30, 3 points. As the Hermetic spell of the same name

  #### Varrine, a Prince of Wrath

  Varrine is one of the Princes of Hell, and he specialises in temper, impatience and angry outbursts. His minions are all over Mythic Europe, making tempers flare. Under the instruction of Varrine, merchant's sons get disinherited for no good reason; men beat their wives; wars are started due to misunderstandings; lords, in fits of irrationality, condemn thieves to death; and other random acts of violence take place.

  Varrine is said to have the appearance of an old man, horned like an antelope, appearing in a chariot made from the body parts of flayed men. No statistics are given for Varrine - it is unlikely that he will successfully be summoned - the Infernal Might of any earthly avatar is at least 60.

  ### References

  Kieckhefer, R. (1990), Magic in the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

  Thorndike, L. (1915), Some medieval conceptions of magic. The Monist 25, pp107-139